Coupling member, a method of fixing the coupling member to an object, and a display device having the coupling member

ABSTRACT

A coupling member includes a body including a first section, a second section, and a third section; a first screw part disposed along a first inner portion of the body corresponding to the first section; a second screw part disposed along a second inner portion of the body corresponding to the second section; and a non-screw part disposed in a third inner portion of the body corresponding to the third section, wherein the non-screw part is connected to at least one of the first screw part and the second screw part.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2015-0022619 filed onFeb. 13, 2015 and 10-2015-0174354 filed on Dec. 8, 2015, the disclosuresof which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present inventive concept relates to a coupling member, a method offixing the coupling member to an object, and a display device having thecoupling member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

A display device includes a display panel, a plurality of elements, anda plurality of coupling members, among others. The display device ismanufactured by using the coupling members to couple the elements toeach other.

The coupling members couple the elements with each other in a variety ofways. For instance, the elements may be coupled with each other by usinga hook formed in one element and a hole formed in the other element orby using a bolt and a nut.

When the elements of the display device are assembled to each otherusing the coupling members, a manufacturing cost of the display deviceincludes a unit cost of the elements and a time used to assemble theelements.

SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept provides acoupling member including a body, a first screw part, a second screwpart, and a non-screw part. The body includes a first section, a secondsection, and a third section. The first screw part is disposed along afirst inner portion of the body corresponding to the first section. Thesecond screw part is disposed along a second inner portion of the bodycorresponding to the second section. The non-screw part is disposed in athird inner portion of the body corresponding to the third section,wherein the non-screw part is connected to at least one of the firstscrew part and the second screw part.

A thickness of the body corresponding to the third section is smallerthan a thickness of the body corresponding to at least one of the firstsection and the second section.

The first screw part, the non-screw part, and the second screw part aresequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the body.

An inner diameter of the body corresponding to the first section isgreater than an inner diameter of the body corresponding to the secondsection.

The coupling member further comprises a cover part disposed at an edgeof the body.

The first screw part, the second screw part, and the non-screw part aresequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the body.

The coupling member further comprises a cover part disposed between thefirst section and the second section in the body.

The first screw part and the non-screw part are sequentially arranged ina longitudinal direction of the body and at least a portion of thesecond screw part is surrounded by the non-screw part.

The coupling member further comprises a sub-body disposed inside of thebody to correspond to the second section, wherein the second screw partis disposed inside of the sub-body.

The coupling member further comprises a cover part disposed between thefirst section and the second section in the body.

The coupling member further comprises a flange part disposed adjacent tothe non-screw part and coupled to an outer circumference of the body.

An outer circumference of the body has a polygonal shape when viewed ina plan view.

An exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept provides a couplingmember including a body, a screw part, a non-screw part, a cover part,and a flange part. The body includes a first section and a secondsection, the screw part is disposed in the body in the first section,and the non-screw part is disposed in the body in the second section.The cover part is disposed in the body, coupled to the body, anddisposed between the non-screw part and the screw part. The flange partis coupled to an outer circumference of the body.

An exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept provides amethod of fixing a coupling member to an object. The coupling member isprovided with a first screw part, a second screw part, and a non-screwpart, which are disposed inside of the coupling member. In the method,the coupling member is inserted into a hole in the object to allow thenon-screw part to face at least one of the first and second screw partssuch that the object is disposed between the non-screw part and at leastone of the first and second screw parts.

A head part of a tool is inserted into the coupling member. A rotationalforce is applied to the head part to couple the second screw part to thehead part, and the second screw part is pulled to the hole using therotational force to bend the non-screw part.

The non-screw part is bent by the rotational force to form a bent part,and a flange part of the coupling member and the bent part fix thecoupling member to the object.

The non-screw part has a thickness smaller than a thickness of thesecond screw part.

The first screw part comprises screw threads to be coupled to a bolt andthe second screw part comprises screw threads to be coupled to the headpart of the tool.

An exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept provides adisplay device including a display panel for displaying an image, amember coupled to the display panel, and a coupling member inserted intoa hole formed through the member, the coupling member provided with acoupling hole formed therethrough and coupled to a bolt.

The coupling member includes a body, a first screw part, a second screwpart, a flange part, and a bent part. The body has a hollow shape andthe first screw part is disposed along a first inner circumference ofthe body. The second screw part is disposed along a second innercircumference of the body and the flange part is coupled to an outercircumference of the body to support the member. The bent part grips themember in cooperation with the flange part such that the member isdisposed between the bent part and the flange part.

A portion of the body used to make the bent part has a thickness that issmaller than a thickness of the body corresponding to a position of thefirst screw part or the second screw part.

The first screw part, the bent part, and the second screw part aresequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the body.

The thickness of the body corresponding to the position of the firstscrew part is smaller than the thickness of the body corresponding tothe position of the second screw part.

The coupling member further comprises a cover part disposed at an edgeof the body.

The first screw part, the second screw part, and the folding part aresequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the body.

The coupling member further comprises a cover part disposed inside ofthe body between the first screw part and the second screw part.

At least part of the second screw part is surrounded by the foldingpart.

The coupling member further comprises a sub-body disposed inside of thebody and the second screw part is disposed inside of the sub-body.

The coupling member further comprises a cover part disposed inside thebody between the first screw part and the second screw part.

An outer circumference of the body has a polygonal shape when viewed ina plan view.

An exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept provides a couplingmember comprising: a hollow body; a first section of the hollow bodyincluding screw threads; a second section of the hollow body includingscrew threads; a third section of the hollow body not including screwthreads, wherein the first, second and third sections are arranged in alongitudinal direction of the hollow body, wherein the third section hasa first length in the longitudinal direction when the coupling member isin a first state and the third section has a second length in thelongitudinal direction when the coupling member is in a second state,and wherein the first length is greater than the second length.

The second state of the coupling member occurs when the coupling memberis fixed to an object.

The coupling member further comprises first and second protrudingportions protruding from an outer surface of the coupling membercorresponding to the third section to fix the coupling member to theobject.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features of the present inventive concept willbecome more clearly understood by describing in detail exemplaryembodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a coupling member according to anexemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line I-I′ shown in FIG.1A, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventiveconcept;

FIG. 1C is a plan view showing the coupling member shown in FIG. 1A,according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a coupling member according to anexemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E are views showing a method of fixing thecoupling member shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C to an object, according to anexemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and 5E are views showing a method of fixing thecoupling member shown in FIG. 4 to an object, according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E are views showing a method of fixing thecoupling member shown in FIG. 6 to an object, according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 8A is an exploded perspective view showing a display deviceincluding the coupling member shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, according to anexemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 8B is a rear view showing the display device shown in FIG. 8A,according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 9A is a view showing the use of the coupling member of the displaydevice shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present inventive concept; and

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-IT shown in FIG.9A, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventiveconcept.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept; and

FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D and 12E are views showing a method of fixingthe coupling member shown in FIG. 10 to an object, according to anexemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of the present inventive concept will now bedescribed more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. The present inventive concept, however, may be embodied invarious forms and should not be construed as being limited to only theillustrated embodiments.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to asbeing “on”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, itcan be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or layeror intervening elements or layers may be present. Like numbers may referto like elements throughout the specification.

As used herein, the singular forms, “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a coupling member 100 according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept, FIG. 1B is across-sectional view taken along a line I-I′ shown in FIG. 1A, accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept, and FIG. 1Cis a plan view showing the coupling member 100 shown in FIG. 1A,according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, the coupling member 100 includes acoupling hole CH for being coupled to a bolt 450 (refer to FIG. 3D). Thecoupling member 100 may function as a nut to fix an object 200 (refer toFIG. 3D) to a member 400 (refer to FIG. 3D) in cooperation with the bolt450.

The coupling member 100 includes a body BP, a first screw part SP1, asecond screw part SP2, a non-screw part NSP, a flange part FP, and acover part CP. The body BP includes a metallic material, e.g., aluminum,iron, alloy steel, etc.

The body BP has a hollow shape extending in a first direction D1 and thecoupling hole CH extending in the first direction D1 is defined throughthe body BP. In the present exemplary embodiment, the first direction D1may be substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of thecoupling member 100.

The body BP includes a first section S1, a second section S2, and athird section S3. A longitudinal direction of each of the first, second,and third sections S1, S2, and S3 is substantially parallel to the firstdirection D1. In the present exemplary embodiment, the first, second,and third sections S1, S2, and S3 are arranged in order of the first,third, and second sections S1, S3, and S2 along the first direction D1such that the third section S3 is disposed between the first and secondsections S1 and S2.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a second thickness T2 of the bodyBP corresponding to the first and third sections S1 and S3 is smallerthan a first thickness T1 of the body BP corresponding to the secondsection S2.

The first screw part SP1 is defined along an inner circumference of thebody BP corresponding to the first section S1. The first screw part SP1includes first screw threads SW1 and first screw valleys SH1. The firstscrew threads SW1 are defined on an inner surface NS of the body BPcorresponding to the first section S1 and the first screw valleys SH1are defined on the inner surface NS of the body BP corresponding to thefirst section S1.

The first screw threads SW1 are alternately arranged with the firstscrew valleys SH1. In other words, the first screw threads SW1 arelocated between adjacent first screw valleys SH1 and the first screwvalleys SH1 are located between adjacent first screw threads SW1. Thefirst screw threads SW1 and the first screw valleys SH1 are coupled toscrew valleys and screw threads of the bolt 450 inserted into thecoupling member 100 through the coupling hole CH, respectively.

The second screw part SP2 is defined along the inner circumference ofthe body BP corresponding to the second section S2. The second screwpart SP2 includes second screw threads SW2 and second screw valleys SH2.The second screw threads SW2 are defined on the inner surface NS of thebody BP corresponding to the second section S2 and the second screwvalleys SH2 are defined on the inner surface NS of the body BPcorresponding to the second section S2.

The second screw threads SW2 are alternately arranged with the secondscrew valleys SH2. In other words, the second screw threads SW2 arelocated between adjacent second screw valleys SH2 and the second screwvalleys SH2 are located between adjacent second screw threads SW2. Thesecond screw threads SW2 and the second screw valleys SH2 are coupled toscrew valleys and screw threads of a head part 310 (refer to FIG. 3B) ofa tool 300 (refer to FIG. 3B) inserted into the coupling member 100through the coupling hole CH, respectively.

The non-screw part NSP is defined inside of the body BP to correspond tothe third section S3. Different from the first and second screw partsSP1 and SP2, the non-screw part NSP does not include screw threads andscrew valleys, which are defined in the body BP. In other words, theinner surface NS of the body BP has an even shape in the third sectionS3. For example, the inner surface NS of the body BP may be smooth.

Different from the first and second screw parts SP1 and SP2, thenon-screw part NSP is used to form a folding part FLP (refer to FIG. 3C)in the coupling member 100 without being coupled to other elementsinside the coupling member 100. The use of the non-screw part NSP willbe described in detail with reference to FIG. 3C.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a first inner diameter R1 of thebody BP corresponding to the first section S1 is greater than a secondinner diameter R2 of the body BP corresponding to the second section S2.Accordingly, when the second screw part SP2 is coupled to the head part310 of the tool 300, the head part 310 is prevented from making contactwith the first screw part SP1.

The flange part FP is disposed between the first and third sections S1and S3, and the flange part FP is coupled to an outer circumference ofthe body BP and is adjacent to the non-screw part NSP. The flange partFP makes contact with the object 200 (refer to FIG. 3A) to support theobject 200. In addition, when the folding part FLP (refer to FIG. 3C) isformed in the coupling member 100, the flange part FP grips the object200 together with the folding part FLP and fixes the coupling member 100to the object 200.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the flange part FP has a circularring shape when viewed in a plan view and each of inner and outercircumferences of the flange part FP has a circular shape, but the shapeof the flange part FP is not be limited thereto. In other words, atleast one of the inner and outer circumferences of the flange part FPmay have a polygonal shape when viewed in a plan view. The polygonalshape of the flange part FP will be described in detail with referenceto FIG. 2.

The cover part CP is disposed at an edge of the body BP to shield aninner portion of the body BP from the outside of the body BP. Therefore,although the coupling member 100 includes the cover part CP, the innerportion of the body BP is still hollow in the first, second, and thirdsections S1, S2, and S3. The cover part CP prevents foreign substancesgenerated when the first and second screw parts SP1 and SP2 are coupledto other elements from being discharged to the outside of the couplingmember 100. In other words, the foreign substances may remain inside thecoupling member 100.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a coupling member 100′ according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, the samereference numerals denote the same elements in FIGS. 1A to 1C, and thusdetailed descriptions of the same elements will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 2, the coupling member 100′ includes a first screwpart, a second screw part, a non-screw part, a flange part FP′, a coverpart CP′, and a body BP′. The first screw part, the second screw part,and the non-screw part may have the same structures as those of thefirst screw part SP1 (refer to FIG. 1B), the second screw part SP2(refer to FIG. 1B), and the non-screw part NSP (refer to FIG. 1B),respectively.

When viewed in a plan view, an inner circumference CR1 of the body BP′has a circular shape, but an outer circumference CR2 of the body BP′ hasa polygonal shape. In addition, the flange part FP′ is coupled to theouter circumference CR2 of the body BP′. Each of inner and outercircumferences of the flange part FP′ has the polygonal shape whenviewed in a plan view.

When the outer circumference CR2 of the body BP′ has the polygonalshape, a hole 205 (refer to FIG. 3A) formed through the object 200(refer to FIG. 3A) has the polygonal shape corresponding to that of theouter circumference CR2 when viewed in a plan view to allow the couplingmember 100′ to penetrate through the hole 205 of the object 200. In thiscase, when a rotational force is applied to the coupling member 100′, aportion of the body BP′, which is inserted into the hole, is preventedfrom spinning.

FIGS. 3A to 3E are views showing a method of fixing the coupling member100 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C to an object, according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the coupling member 100 is inserted into the hole205 formed through the object 200. The object 200 may have a plateshape. For instance, the object 200 has a plate shape like that of aportion of a bottom chassis 580 (refer to FIG. 8A) of a display device600 (refer to FIG. 8A). However, the shape of the object 200 is notlimited to the plate shape. For example, the object 200 might not beentirely flat.

The flange part FP has an outer diameter R3 greater than a diameter R4of the hole 205. Thus, when the coupling member 100 is inserted into thehole 205, the second screw part SP2 and the non-screw part NSP passthrough the object 200 and the flange part FP is placed on the object200 to make contact with the object 200. The coupling member 100 isstopped from passing completely through the hole 205 by the flange partFP contacting with the object 200. In addition, when assuming that thefirst direction D1 is a vertical direction, the second screw part SP2and the non-screw part NSP are disposed under the object 200 and thefirst screw part SP1 is disposed above the object 200. A portion of thenon-screw part NSP may also be disposed above the object 200.

Referring to FIG. 3B, after the coupling member 100 is inserted into thehole 205 of the object 200, the head part 310 of the tool 300 isinserted into the coupling member 100 through the coupling hole CH, andthen the head part 310 is coupled to the second screw part SP2. As shownin FIG. 3B, the screw threads and the screw valleys formed along anouter surface of the head part 310 couple the head part 310 to thesecond screw part SP2 via the screw valleys and screw threads of thesecond screw part SP2, respectively.

The first inner diameter R1 of the body BP corresponding to the firstand third sections S1 and S3 is greater than the second inner diameterR2 of the body BP corresponding to the second section S2. Accordingly,when the second screw part SP2 is coupled to the head part 310, the headpart 310 may be prevented from making contact with the first screw partSP1 and the non-screw part NSP.

Referring to FIG. 3C, a rotational force is applied to the head part 310while the head part 310 is coupled to the second screw part SP2. Therotational force is indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 3C beingrotated in the counter-clockwise direction. As a result, the secondscrew part SP2 is pulled up to the hole 205. In other words, the secondscrew part SP2 gets closer to the hole 205.

In addition, when the second screw part SP2 is pulled up due to therotational force, the first screw part SP1 and the non-screw part NSPare not initially affected by the rotational force since the first screwpart SP1 and the non-screw part NSP are spaced apart from the head part310. In other words, the rotational force is selectively applied to thesecond screw part SP2 of the coupling member 100, and thus the secondscrew part SP2 of the coupling member 100 is selectively pulled up tothe hole 205 by the rotational force. However, as the second screw partSP2 is pulled up, the non-screw part NSP is affected by the rotationalforce.

As shown in FIG. 3A, since the second thickness T2 of the body BPcorresponding to the third section S3 is smaller than the firstthickness T1 of the body BP corresponding to the second section, thenon-screw part NSP is folded when the second screw part SP2 is pulled upto the hole 205, and thus the folding part FLP is formed.

When the non-screw part NSP is folded to form the folding part FLP, thefolding part FLP makes contact with a rear surface of the object 200. Inaddition, since the object 200 is interposed between the flange part FPand the folding part FLP, the flange part FP and the folding part FLPgrip the object 200 like a clamp when viewed in a cross-sectional view.Therefore, the coupling member 100 is fixed to the object 200 by theflange part FP and the folding part FLP.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the folding part FLP includes afirst bending part B1 and a second bending part B2. The first and secondbending parts B1 and B2 are made by bending portions of the body BPcorresponding to the third section S3 (refer to FIG. 3B) when the secondscrew part SP2 is pulled up to the hole 205. When it assumed that theobject 200 extends in a second direction D2 in a cross-sectional view,each of the first and second bending parts B1 and B2 is defined by bentportions of the body BP in the second direction D2.

Referring to FIGS. 3D and 3E, after the folding part FLP is formed inthe coupling member 100, the head part 310 (refer to FIG. 3C) isseparated from the coupling member 100. Then, a member 400 is placed onthe coupling member 100 to allow a thru-hole 405 of the member 400 to bealigned with the coupling hole CH of the coupling member 100.

Then, the bolt 450 is inserted into the coupling member 100 afterpassing through the thru-hole 405 of the member 400 and rotated tocomplete its coupling to the coupling member 100. As a result, theobject 200 is fixed to the member 400 by the coupling force between thebolt 450 and the coupling member 100.

Referring to FIGS. 3C and 3E, the head part 310 of the tool 300 isinserted into the coupling member 100 from above the object 200, and thebolt 450 is inserted into the coupling member 100 from above the object200. When the lower side of the object 200 is referred to as (oractually is) an inside of the object 200 and the upper side of theobject 200 is referred to as (or actually is) an outside of the object200, the first screw part SP1 protrudes to the outside of the object200. In this case, a space, in which the first screw part SP1 isaccommodated, is not necessary to be disposed inside of the object 200,and thus the space used to accommodate the coupling member 100 inside ofthe object 200 is reduced.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member 101 accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 4, the coupling member 101 is provided with a couplinghole CH-1 formed therethrough to be coupled to an external bolt. Thecoupling member 101 includes a body BP-1, a first screw part SP1-1, asecond screw part SP2-1, a non-screw part NSP-1, a flange part FP-1, anda cover part CP-1.

The body BP-1 has a shape extending in the first direction D1. The bodyBP-1 includes a first section S1, a second section S2, and a thirdsection S3. The first, second, and third sections S1, S2, and S3 aresequentially arranged in the first direction D1.

The first screw part SP1-1 is defined along an inner circumference ofthe body BP-1 corresponding to the first section S1 and the second screwpart SP2-1 is defined along the inner circumference of the body BP-1corresponding to the second section S2. The non-screw part NSP-1 isdefined along the inner circumference of the body BP-1 corresponding tothe third section S3.

As described with reference to FIGS. 3B and 3C, the non-screw part NSP-1is used to form a folding part FLP-1 in the coupling member 101. Thiswill be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5C.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a first inner diameter R1-1 of thebody BP-1 corresponding to the third section S3 is greater than a secondinner diameter R2-1 of the body BP-1 corresponding to the first andsecond sections S1 and S2. Accordingly, when the second screw part SP2-1is coupled to a head part 310 (refer to FIG. 5C) of a tool 300 (refer toFIG. 5C), the head part 310 is prevented from making contact with thenon-screw part NSP-1.

The flange part FP-1 is disposed at an edge of the body BP-1 andadjacent to the non-screw part NSP-1. The flange part FP-1 is coupled toan outer circumference of the body BP-1. The flange part FP-1 makescontact with an object 200 (refer to FIG. 5A) to support the object 200.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the cover part CP-1 is disposedinside the body BP-1. In addition, the cover part CP-1 is disposedbetween the first section S1 and the second section S2 to block thefirst screw part SP1-1 and the second screw part SP2-1 from each other.Therefore, the inner portion of the body BP-1 is divided by the coverpart CP-1 between the first and second sections S1 and S2. The innerportion of the body BP-1 corresponding to the second and third sectionsS2 and S3 may not be blocked. Thus, an object may be inserted into thesection S2 via the third section S3.

FIGS. 5A to 5E are views showing a method of fixing the coupling member101 shown in FIG. 4 to the object 200 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the coupling member 101 is inserted intothe hole 205 of the object 200. Then, the head part 310 of the tool 300is inserted into the coupling member 101 through the hole 205 andcoupled to the second screw part SP2-1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first inner diameter R1-1 of the non-screw partNSP-1 is greater than the second inner diameter R2-1 of the second screwpart SP2-1. Thus, when the head part 310 is coupled to the second screwpart SP2-1, the head part 310 does not make contact with the non-screwpart NSP-1.

Referring to FIG. 5C, a rotational force is applied to the head part 310while the head part 310 of the tool 300 is coupled to the second screwpart SP2-1. As a result, the second screw part SP2-1 is pulled down tothe hole 205 by the rotational force. In addition, when the second screwpart SP2-1 is pulled down due to the rotational force, the first screwpart SP1-1 is not affected by the rotational force since the first screwpart SP1-1 is blocked from the second screw part SP2-1 by the cover partCP-1. When the second screw part SP2-1 is pulled down due to therotational force, the non-screw part NSP-1 is not initially affected bythe rotational force since the non-screw part NSP-1 is spaced apart fromthe head part 310. In other words, the rotational force is selectivelyapplied to the second screw part SP2-1 of the coupling member 101, andthus the second screw part SP2-1 of the coupling member 101 isselectively pulled down to the hole 205 by the rotational force.However, as the second screw part SP2-1 is pulled down, the non-screwpart NSP-1 is affected by the rotational force.

For example, since the non-screw part NSP-1 has the first thickness T1smaller than the second thickness T2 of the second screw part SP2-1, thenon-screw part NSP-1 is folded when the second screw part SP2-1 pulleddown to form the folding part FLP-1. The folding part FLP-1 makescontact with a rear surface of the object 200. In addition, the object200 is interposed between the flange part FP-1 and the folding partFLP-1, and when viewed in a cross-sectional view, the flange part FP-1and the folding part FLP-1 grip the object 200 like a clamp.Accordingly, the coupling member 101 may be fixed to the object 200 bythe flange part FP-1 and the folding part FLP-1.

Referring to FIGS. 5D and 5E, after the folding part FLP-1 is formed inthe coupling member 101, the head part 310 (refer to FIG. 5C) isseparated from the coupling member 101. Then, the member 400 is disposedabove the coupling member 101 and the bolt 450 is inserted into thecoupling member 101 after passing through the thru-hole 405 of themember 400.

Then, the bolt 450 is rotated and coupled to the coupling member 101.Therefore, the object 200 is fixed to the member 400 by the couplingforce between the bolt 450 and the coupling member 101.

When the lower side of the object 200 is referred to as (or actually is)an inside of the object 200 and the upper side of the object 200 isreferred to as (or actually is) an outside of the object 200, the flangepart FP-1 is disposed inside of the object 200, but other parts of thecoupling member 101 except for the flange part FP-1 are disposed outsideof the object 200. In this case, the first screw part SP1-1 and thesecond screw part SP2-1 are not found inside of the object 200, and thusa volume of a portion of the coupling member 101, which is protruded tothe inside of the object 200, may be reduced.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member 102 accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 6, the coupling member 102 is provided with a couplinghole CH-2 formed therethrough and configured to be coupled to anexternal bolt. The coupling member 102 includes a body BP-2, a sub-bodySBP, a first screw part SP1-2, a second screw part SP2-2, a non-screwpart NSP-2, a flange part FP-2, and a cover part CP-2.

The body BP-2 has a shape extending in the first direction D1. The bodyBP-2 includes a first section S1, a second section S2, and a thirdsection S3. The sub-body SBP is disposed inside of the body BP-2 tocorrespond to the second section S2.

The first screw part SP1-2 is defined along an inner circumference ofthe body BP-2 corresponding to the first section S1 and the non-screwpart NSP-2 is defined along the inner circumference of the body BP-2corresponding to the third section S3.

In addition, the second screw part SP2-2 is defined along an innercircumference of the sub-body SBP corresponding to the second sectionS2. Accordingly, the second screw part SP2-2 is surrounded by thenon-screw part NSP-2.

The non-screw part NSP-2 is used to form a folding part FLP-2 (refer toFIG. 7C) in the coupling member 102. This will be described in detailwith reference to FIG. 7C.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a first inner diameter R1-2 of thenon-screw part NSP-2 is greater than a second inner diameter R2-2 of thesecond screw part SP2-2. Accordingly, when the second screw part SP2-2is coupled to a head part 310 (refer to FIG. 7C) of a tool 300, the headpart 310 is prevented from making contact with the non-screw part NSP-2.

The flange part FP-2 is disposed at an edge of the body BP-2 andadjacent to the non-screw part NSP-2. The flange part FP-2 is coupled toan outer circumference of the body BP-2. In addition, the cover partCP-2 is disposed inside the body BP-2 to block the first screw partSP1-2 from the second screw part SP2-2.

FIGS. 7A to 7E are views showing a method of fixing the coupling member102 shown in FIG. 6 to an object 200 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the coupling member 102 is inserted intothe hole 205 of the object 200. Then, the head part 310 of the tool 300is inserted into the coupling member 101 through the hole 205 andcoupled to the second screw part SP2-2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first inner diameter R1-2 of the non-screw partNSP-2 is greater than the second inner diameter R2-2 of the second screwpart SP2-2. Thus, when the head part 310 is coupled to the second screwpart SP2-2, the head part 310 does not make contact with the non-screwpart NSP-2.

Referring to FIG. 7C, a rotational force is applied to the head part 310while the head part 310 of the tool 300 is coupled to the second screwpart SP2-2. As a result, the second screw part SP2-2 is pulled down tothe hole 205 by the rotational force, and thus the non-screw part NSP-2having a first thickness T1 (refer to FIG. 6) smaller than a secondthickness T2 (refer to FIG. 6) of the second screw part SP2-2 is foldedto form the folding part FLP-2.

The folding part FLP-2 makes contact with a rear surface of the object200. In addition, the object 200 is interposed between the flange partFP-2 and the folding part FLP-2, and when viewed in a cross-sectionalview, the flange part FP-2 and the folding part FLP-2 grip the object200 like a clamp. Accordingly, the coupling member 102 may be fixed tothe object 200 by the flange part FP-2 and the folding part FLP-2.

Referring to FIGS. 7D and 7E, after the folding part FLP-2 is formed inthe coupling member 102, the head part 310 (refer to FIG. 7C) isseparated from the coupling member 102. Then, the member 400 is disposedabove the coupling member 102 and the bolt 450 is inserted into thecoupling member 101 after passing through the thru-hole 405 of themember 400.

Then, the bolt 450 is rotated and coupled to the coupling member 102.Therefore, the object 200 is fixed to the member 400 by the couplingforce between the bolt 450 and the coupling member 102.

When the lower side of the object 200 is referred to as (or actually is)an inside of the object 200 and the upper side of the object 200 isreferred to as (or actually is) an outside of the object 200, otherparts of the coupling member 102 except for the flange part FP-1 aredisposed outside of the object 200. In this case, the first screw partSP1-2 and the second screw part SP2-2 are not found inside of the object200, and thus a volume of a portion of the coupling member 102, which isprotruded to the inside of the object 200, may be reduced.

Further, since the second screw part SP2-2 is surrounded by thenon-screw part NSP-2, a volume of a portion of the coupling member 102,which is protruded to the outside of the object 200, may be reduced.

FIG. 8A is an exploded perspective view showing a display device 600including the coupling member 100 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept and FIG. 8B isa rear view showing the display device 600 shown in FIG. 8A according toan exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the display device 600 includes abacklight assembly 500 and a display panel 520. The backlight assembly500 generates a light and provides the light to the display panel 520,and the display panel 520 receives the light to display an image.

The display device 600 may further include a plurality of membersincluding an accommodating member 580 (e.g., a bottom chassis) and acover member 510. The accommodating member 580 provides an accommodatingspace to accommodate the backlight assembly 500 and the display panel520. The cover member 510 is coupled to the accommodating member 580 tocover a non-display area of the display panel 520.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the display panel 520 may be, butis not limited to, a liquid crystal display panel and includes a displaysubstrate 521, an opposite substrate 522, and a liquid crystal layerinterposed between the display substrate 521 and the opposite substrate522. The display substrate 521 includes a plurality of pixel electrodesrespectively disposed in a plurality of pixel areas and the oppositesubstrate 522 includes a common electrode facing the pixel electrodes.

The display panel 520 is not limited to the liquid crystal displaypanel. For instance, another display panel such as an organicelectroluminescent display panel may be used as the display panel 520,and in this case the backlight assembly 500 may be removed from thedisplay device 600.

In addition, the display panel 520 is not limited to the above-mentionedstructure. For instance, the common electrode may be included in thedisplay substrate 521 instead of being included in the oppositesubstrate 522.

The backlight assembly 500 includes a light emitting unit 300, theaccommodating member 580, a reflection plate 570, a light guide plate550, a mold frame 530, and a plurality of sheets 540.

The light emitting unit 300 emits the light. The light emitting unit 300includes a printed circuit board PB and a plurality of light emittingdiode packages LG. The printed circuit board PB is disposed adjacent toone side portion of the light guide plate 550 and the light emittingdiode packages LG are mounted on the printed circuit board PB. The lightemitting diode packages LG generate the light in response to a sourcevoltage provided from the printed circuit board PB and the lightgenerated by the light emitting diode packages LG is incident to thelight guide plate 550.

The light guide plate 550 is accommodated in the accommodating member580 and the light generated by the light emitting unit 300 and incidentto the light guide plate 550 is guided to the display panel 520. Thereflection plate 570 includes a material that reflects the light, e.g.,polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aluminum, etc., and is disposedbetween a bottom portion of the accommodating member 580 and the lightguide plate 550.

The mold frame 530 is elongated along sidewalls of the accommodatingmember 580 and is coupled to the accommodating member 580. In addition,the mold frame 530 fixes an edge of the light guide plate 550accommodated in the accommodating member 580 to the bottom portion ofthe accommodating member 580, and the sheets 540 and the display panel520 are sequentially stacked within the mold frame 530.

The sheets 540 are disposed between the display panel 520 and the lightguide plate 550. In the present exemplary embodiment, the sheets 540include a diffusion sheet 543 for diffusing the light, a prism sheet 542for condensing the diffused light to increase a front brightness of thedisplay panel 520, and a protective sheet 541 for protecting a rearsurface of the display panel 520.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the backlight assembly 500 is notlimited to the above-mentioned structure. For instance, the light guideplate 550 may be omitted from the backlight assembly 500 and the lightemitting unit 300 may be provided in a plural number on the bottomportion of the accommodating member 580.

In addition, the coupling member 100 described with reference to FIGS.1A to 1C may be fixed to the bottom portion of the accommodating member580. The coupling member 100 is disposed in the display device 600 suchthat the coupling hole CH is exposed to the outside of the displaydevice 600. Accordingly, the display device 600 including theaccommodating member 580 may be fixed to another member using a bolt(e.g., 450, refer to FIG. 3E) coupled to the coupling hole CH of thecoupling member 100.

As described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3E, the coupling member 100is inserted into the hole defined in the accommodating member 580 fromthe outside of the display device 600, and then the coupling member 100is fixed to the accommodating member 580 using the head part 310 (referto FIG. 3C) of the tool 300 (refer to FIG. 3C). Hereinafter, the use ofthe coupling member 100 will be described in detail with reference toFIGS. 9A and 9B.

FIG. 9A is a view showing the use of the coupling member 100 of thedisplay device 600 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept and FIG. 9B is across-sectional view taken along a line II-IT shown in FIG. 9A accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIGS. 8B, 9A, and 9B, the display device 600 is fixed to awall WL using the coupling member 100 coupled to the display device 600.For example, a bracket BK is fixed to the wall WL and the bolt 450 isinserted into the coupling member 100 after passing through the bracketBK. A user may fasten the bolt 450 to couple the bolt 450 to thecoupling member 100.

Accordingly, the display device 600 is fixed to the bracket BK by thecoupling force between the bolt 450 and the coupling member 100, andsubstantially simultaneously the display device 600 is fixed to the wallWL.

As described above, the user may fix the coupling member 100 to theaccommodating member 580 at the outside of the display device 600 andmay couple the bolt 450 to the coupling member 100 at the outside of thedisplay device 600.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept,the coupling member is provided with the coupling hole coupled to thebolt and the screw parts are defined inside of the coupling hole, andthus the coupling member may function as a nut. In addition, thecoupling member is fixed to the member and the screw parts of thecoupling member are protruded outwardly. Therefore, a space, in whichthe screw parts are accommodated, is not necessary to be defined insideof the object, and thus the space defined inside of the object isreduced.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member 103according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 10, the coupling member 103 provides a coupling holeCH-3 to be coupled to an external bolt. The coupling member 103 includesa body BP-3, a screw part SP1-3, a non-screw part NSP-3, a flange partFP-3, and a cover part CP-3.

The body BP-3 has a hollow shape and extends in a first direction D1,and thus, a longitudinal direction of the body BP-3 is arranged in thefirst direction D1. In addition, the body BP-3 includes a first sectionS1 and a second section S2, and the first and second sections S1 and S2are sequentially arranged along the first direction D1 in the body BP-3.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the screw part SP1-3, the coverpart CP-3, the non-screw part NSP-3, and the flange part FP-3 aresequentially arranged in the first direction D1.

The screw part SP1-3 is defined in and along an inner circumference ofthe body BP-3 corresponding to the first section S1. The screw partSP1-3 can be coupled to a bolt 450 (refer to FIG. 12E) provided from theoutside.

The non-screw part NSP-3 is defined in an area inside of the body BP-3corresponding to the second section S2. The non-screw part NSP-3 isfolded by a pressing process to form a folding part FLP-3 (refer to FIG.12C). The folding part FLP-3 will be described in detail with referenceto FIG. 12C.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a second thickness T2 of the bodyBP-3 corresponding to the first section S1 is greater than a firstthickness T1 of the body BP-3 corresponding to the second section S2.Accordingly, an inner diameter R1-3 of the body BP-3 corresponding tothe second section S2 is greater than an inner diameter R2-3 of the bodyBP-3 corresponding to the first section S1.

The coupling hole CH-3 is found at one edge of the body BP-3 and theflange part FP-3 is found at the other edge of the body BP-3. The flangepart FP-3 is coupled to an outer circumference of the body BP-3. Theflange part FP-3 makes contact with an object 200 (refer to FIG. 12A) tosupport the object 200.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the flange part FP-3 may have avariety of shapes corresponding to the outer circumference of the bodyBP-3. For instance, in the case where the outer circumference of thebody BP-3 has the circular shape as shown in FIG. 1C, each of inner andouter circumferences of the flange part FP-3 may have the circular shapewhen viewed in a plan view. According to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent inventive concept, in the case where the outer circumference ofthe body BP-3 has the polygonal shape as shown in FIG. 2, each of theinner and outer circumferences of the flange part FP-3 may have thepolygonal shape when viewed in a plan view.

The cover part CP-3 is accommodated in the body BP-3 and coupled to thebody BP-3. In addition, the cover part CP-3 is disposed between thefirst section S1 and the second section S2 to block the screw part SP1-3from the non-screw part NSP-3. Therefore, the screw part SP1-3 is spacedapart from the non-screw part NSP-3 by the cover part CP-3 in the bodyBP-3.

According to the above-mentioned structure of the cover part CP-3, thecover part CP-3 prevents foreign substances from entering into the screwpart SP1-3 from the non-screw part NSP-3. In addition, an inner sidesurface of the body BP-3 is connected to the cover part CP-3 between thefirst and second sections S1 and S2, and thus, rigidity of the body BP-3may be maintained. Thus, although the pressing process to be describedlater with reference to FIGS. 12B and 12C is performed on the couplingmember 103, the screw part SP1-3 of the coupling member 103 may beprevented from being deformed by the cover part CP-3.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling member 104according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 11, the coupling member 104 provides a coupling holeCH-4 to be coupled to an external bolt. The coupling member 104 includesa body BP-4, a screw part SP1-4, a non-screw part NSP-4, a flange partFP-4, and a cover part CP-4. The body BP-4 includes a first section S1and a second section S2 sequentially arranged in a first direction D1.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the flange part FP-4 is disposedbetween the screw part SP1-4 and the non-screw part NSP-4. As shown inFIG. 12A, when the coupling member 104 is inserted into a hole 205(refer to FIG. 12A) of the object 200 (refer to FIG. 12A), the flangepart FP-4 makes contact with the object 200. In addition, in the casewhere the pressing process is performed on the coupling member 104, thenon-screw part NSP-4 is folded and the coupling member 104 is fixed tothe object 200 by the folded non-screw part NSP-4 and the flange partFP-4.

FIGS. 12A to 12E are views showing a method of fixing the couplingmember 103 shown in FIG. 10 to the object 200, according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the coupling member 103 is inserted intothe hole 205 of the object 200. As a result, a portion of a firstsurface 201 of the object 200 makes contact with the flange part FP-3 ofthe coupling member 103 inserted into the hole 205. A second surface 202of the object 200 is opposite the first surface 201 of the object 200.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12B, the coupling member 103 inserted into thehole 205 is supported using a jig JG in which a fixing recess JG-H isdefined. In more detail, the jig JG supports the object 200 such thatthe flange part FP-3 is accommodated in the fixing recess JG-H.Accordingly, another portion of the first surface 201 of the object 200makes contact with the jig JG.

Referring to FIGS. 12C and 12D, the pressing process is performed on thecoupling member 103 while the jig JG supports the object 200 and thecoupling member 103. In the present exemplary embodiment, a pressingmember PS is disposed to face the jig JG such that the coupling member103 is disposed between the jig JG and the pressing member PS, and then,the pressing member PS pressurizes the edge of the coupling member 103toward the first direction D1, thereby performing the pressing process.

When the pressing member PS pressurizes the edge of the coupling member103 toward the first direction D1, pressure is applied to the non-screwpart NSP-3. As a result, the non-screw part NSP-3 is folded and thefolding part FLP-3 is formed at the coupling member 103. In the presentexemplary embodiment, since the thickness T1 (refer to FIG. 10) of thebody BP-3 corresponding to the non-screw part NSP-3 is smaller than thethickness T2 (refer to FIG. 10) of the body BP-3 corresponding to thescrew part SP1-3 as described with reference to FIG. 10, the non-screwpart NSP-3 is folded by the applied pressure rather than the screw partSP1-3.

When the non-screw part NSP-3 is folded to form the folding part FLP-3,the folding part FLP-3 makes contact with the second surface 202 of theobject 200. In addition, the object 200 is interposed between the flangepart FP-3 and the folding part FLP-3 and the flange part FP-3 and thefolding part FLP-3 grip the object 200 like a clamp when viewed in across section. Accordingly, the coupling member 103 may be fixed to theobject 200 by the flange part FP-3 and the folding part FLP-3.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the coupling member 103 includesthe cover part CP-3. Therefore, a foreign substance may be preventedfrom entering into the screw part SP1-3 from the non-screw part NSP-3during the pressing process. In addition, the rigidity of the screw partSP1-3 may be maintained by the cover part CP-3 during the pressingprocess. Thus, the screw part SP1-3 may be prevented from being deformedby the cover part CP-3 after the pressing process is completed, andthus, the bolt 450 (refer to FIG. 12D) may be easily engaged with thescrew part SP1-3.

Referring to FIGS. 12D and 12E, after the folding part FLP-3 is formedat the coupling member 103, a member 400 is placed on the couplingmember 103 and the bolt 450 is provided to the coupling member 103 afterpassing through a thru-hole 405 formed through the member 400.

Then, the bolt 450 is rotated and coupled to the coupling member 103.Therefore, the object 200 is fixed to the member 400 by the couplingforce between the bolt 450 and the coupling member 103.

When a lower side of the object 200 is referred to as an inside of theobject 200 and an upper side of the object 200 is referred to as anoutside of the object 200, the flange part FP-3 is disposed inside ofthe object 200, and other parts of the coupling member 103 except forthe flange part FP-3 are disposed outside of the object 200. Thus, sincea space, in which the screw part SP1-3 is accommodated, does not have tobe defined inside of the object 200, a volume of a protruding portion ofthe coupling member 103, which is protruded to the inside of the object200, may be reduced.

Although the present inventive concept has been shown and described withreference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is understood by those ofordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail can bemade thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinventive concept as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coupling member, comprising: a body comprisinga first section, a second section, and a third section; a first screwpart disposed along a first inner portion of the body corresponding tothe first section; a second screw part disposed along a second innerportion of the body corresponding to the second section; a non-screwpart disposed in a third inner portion of the body corresponding to thethird section, wherein the non-screw part is connected to at least oneof the first screw part and the second screw part; and a flange partdisposed adjacent to the non-screw part and coupled to an outercircumference of the body.
 2. The coupling member of claim 1, wherein athickness of the body corresponding to the third section is smaller thana thickness of the body corresponding to at least one of the firstsection and the second section.
 3. The coupling member of claim 2,wherein the first screw part, the non-screw part, and the second screwpart are sequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the body.4. The coupling member of claim 3, Wherein an inner diameter of the bodycorresponding to the first section is greater than an inner diameter ofthe body corresponding to the second section.
 5. The coupling member ofclaim 4, further comprising a cover part disposed at an edge of the bodyto shield an inner portion of the body from an outside of the body,wherein the inner portion of the body has a penetration shape in thefirst, second, and third sections.
 6. The coupling member of claim 1,wherein an outer circumference of the body has a polygonal shape whenviewed in a plan view.
 7. A coupling member, comprising: a hollow body;a first section of the hollow body including screw threads; a secondsection of the hollow body including screw threads; a third section ofthe hollow body not including screw threads, wherein the first, secondand third sections are arranged in a longitudinal direction of thehollow body, wherein the third section has a first length in thelongitudinal direction when the coupling member is in a first state andthe third section has a second length in the longitudinal direction whenthe coupling member is in a second state, and wherein the first lengthis greater than the second length.
 8. The coupling member of claim 7,wherein the second state of the coupling member occurs when the couplingmember is fixed to an object.
 9. The coupling member of claim 8, furthercomprising first and second protruding portions protruding from an outersurface of the coupling member corresponding to the third section to fixthe coupling member to the object.
 10. A coupling member, comprising: abody comprising a first section, a second section, and a third section;a first screw part disposed along a first inner portion of the bodycorresponding to the first section; a second screw part disposed along asecond inner portion of the body corresponding to the second section; anon-screw part disposed in a third inner portion of the bodycorresponding to the third section, wherein the non-screw part isdisposed between the first screw part and the second screw part; and acover part disposed at an edge of the body to shield an inner portion ofthe body from an outside of the body, wherein a thickness of the bodycorresponding to the third section is smaller than a thickness of thebody corresponding to at least one of the first section and the secondsection, wherein an inner diameter of the body corresponding to thefirst section is greater than an inner diameter of the bodycorresponding to the second section.